Web Cameras in the PNW

This page contains a set of publically-available web-enabled links pointing to various web cameras located in our cruising area of the Pacific Northwest. By viewing the images, today's cell-phone or tablet equipped boater can often determine the boating conditions in the target area. Safety is always a concern of the prudent boater.

The Function of This Page

The links on this page point to common public webcams. Since many of the cameras are operated by private individuals, the links may be non-functional. Please report such dead links to webmaster@seattlelyachtclub.org. Some of the links may be commercial in intent and have advertising features. In this case, Seattle Yacht Club makes no recommendations as to the validity of the postings.

The intent of this page is to provide the safety-conscious boater with more information about the cruising area into which the boat is headed. A prudent boater can see such items as the weather conditions, the number of other boats at the location, and get a general feeling of whether or not heading to the planned destination is a safe decision.

Weather Cams

Privacy Considerations

Personal privacy concerns rank high with some boaters. A prudent traveler in today's 'connected' environment must realize that personal privacy in the public areas can be difficult to find. Many cities and highways have traffic cameras which display real-time traffic flow and which are readily visible on the internet. A good example of these is the WA Department of Transportation's highway cameras and the Ferry Cams.

Also most businesses these days have video cameras recording the events that take place within the building as well as the exterior views. Often these video recordings can be viewed on the internet, occasionally without any effective access control. Have you withdrawn any money from your neighborhood ATM recently? Your image has been captured and is available to bank staff and anyone with a court order.

As a modern and safe boater, you may have installed an Automated Identification System (AIS) transponder on your boat. If not, many of your boating friends have this new bit of technology, claiming safety considerations. Well, this useful piece of electronics broadcasts your location, heading, and speed to the whole world. SYC's own website has links to AIS websites in Cruising/Boat Locator.

Is your boat documented with the US Coast Guard? If so, anyone looking at the boat's name on the transom can do a web lookup of the boat's USCG documentation and discover the owner's name. Since many of our club's boaters have smartphones and are always connected to the internet, looking up the information on a passing boat only takes a few seconds. The website for this is available in our Cruising/Boat Locator.